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boy-scout-rule.md

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tier principle
name Boy Scout Rule
description The principle that one should always leave the codebase cleaner than they found it. This encourages continuous, incremental improvement of code quality.
tags
process
quality
refactoring
clean code
layer

Boy Scout Rule

Primary Directive

Whenever you work on a piece of code, you MUST leave it in a better state than you found it.

Process

  1. Identify the Primary Task: Focus on completing your main task (e.g., fixing a bug, adding a feature).
  2. Identify Small Improvements: While working, identify small, related opportunities for cleanup. This could include:
    • Improving a variable name.
    • Breaking a large function into smaller ones.
    • Removing a small piece of duplicated code.
    • Adding a missing comment or clarifying an existing one.
  3. Make the Improvement: Make the small improvement as part of your primary task. The cleanup should be related to the code you are already touching.
  4. Commit the Improvement: The small cleanup is committed along with the main feature or bug fix.

Constraints

  • The cleanup MUST be small and related to the code you are already working on.
  • Do NOT embark on a large-scale refactoring under the guise of the Boy Scout Rule.
  • The primary goal is still to complete your original task; the cleanup is a secondary benefit.